Weekly Charges* (full-time, 5 days per week:

*Discounted daily and weekly rates only apply to children who are not in receipt of the 2, 3 or 4 year old NEG funding.

Settling In

When a child first joins the nursery we work with you to ensure they are fully settled and happy. Parents' initial visit with their child is to discuss the child's specific needs and routine. An 'All About Me' record is completed with the Room Leader and parent, this is to establish a sound knowledge of the child's interests and current development.

We suggest the child has on average two to three settling in sessions, however, this is very much dependent on how well the child settles. Children moving between groups are given opportunities to make numerous visits, to ensure a smooth transition and to match the child with a suitable Key person.

Key Workers

Each child is given a key worker. This key worker is a member of staff from within the classroom and so that person will change as the child moves up through the nursery. The key worker is there to support the child, monitor and record their development and works very closely with the parents. Feedback is provided verbally on a daily basis to the parents in terms of how their child has been during the day, what they have enjoyed playing with, how well they have eaten, for example.

In the Grasshopper room we have a Home Link book which records during each session the child attends, exactly how well the baby has fed, how much milk they have had, how much sleep they have and information on nappies. We have a formal meeting once a term where each parent can meet with their child's key worker, to discuss their progress and to agree on which areas or next stages of development they would like to jointly work on. The key worker is also responsible for keeping a complete record of the child's development in a Learning Journey which can be shared with the parent at any time.

Learning Journeys

Learning journeys are a complete record of the child's development during their time at nursery. Within them we record key pieces of information and key achievements. We also keep copies of all of their observations. These observations take place on a daily basis and we also carry out a termly observation which is recorded here too. It is also where we keep photographs of your child's time at nursery and some examples of their work. This learning journey will move on with them when they go to school.

Early Years Foundation Stage 2014

Our nursery and pre-school follow the government based framework for early learning called the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
Through the EYFS we seek to provide:

Quality and Consistency in our nursery, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind;

A Secure Foundation through Learning and Development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and are assessed and reviewed regularly.

Partnership Working between staff and with parents and/or parents;

Equality of Opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring every child is included and supported.

The EYFS learning and development requirements comprise of:

The 7 Areas of Learning and Development – (described below);The Early Learning Goals – which summarise the knowledge, skills and understanding that all young children should have gained by the end of the Reception year; andThe Assessment Requirements – the arrangements for assessing young children's progress through the EYFS.

Children will learn new skills, acquiring knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through the 7 Areas of Learning and Development.

Children should develop the 3 Prime Areas first. These are:

Communication and Language;

Physical Development; and

Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

These Prime Areas are those most essential for a child's healthy development and future learning.

As the children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 Specific Areas. These are:

Literacy;

Mathematics;

Understanding the World; and

Expressive arts and Design.

These 7 Areas are used to plan the children's learning and activities. The staff at Rainbow Corner Nursery teaching and supporting the children will make sure that the activities are suited to each child's unique needs.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

There are 3 characteristics of effective learning which help us plan for a child's individual learning and developmental experience-Playing & Exploring – is about a child's engagement in their learning & development…

Overarching Principles

every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured;

children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships;

children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between staff and parents and/or carers; and

children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.

The framework covers education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

None of the areas of learning are delivered in isolation from the others. They are all equally important and depend on each other to support a rounded approach to child development. All areas are delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child initiated activities.

More information can also be found using www.foundationyears.org.uk. This website caters from pregnancy to children aged 5 and has many useful contacts for parents.

Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Reforms 2014

Our Local Offer

At Rainbow Corner Nursery School, we have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENco) who works with all members of staff across the setting to identify and support children with additional educational needs or disabilities. The role of the SENco involves:

Ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEN and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEN

Advising and supporting colleagues

Ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting, and

Liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting; for example Portage, Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapists and Early Support.

There is also a local authority Area SENco who is available to support the setting SENco.

What are special educational needs and disabilities?

Children’s SEN are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

Communication and Interaction

Cognition and Learning

Social, mental and emotional health

Sensory and/or physical

Identification and Early Intervention

How do we know if your child needs extra help?

At Rainbow Corner Nursery School we have an open door policy and a strong partnership with our parents. All children are assigned a Key Worker who will have overall responsibility for that child’s development. All children’s progress is carefully monitored through ongoing observational assessments which are recorded in an individual Learning Journey. The staff conduct a summative assessment each term and the parents are invited to a meeting once a term to discuss their child’s progress against the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, although we encourage open dialogue throughout the year should a parent have any concerns they wish to discuss.

How will we support you and your child?

On induction to the setting, we request that the parent completes a comprehensive ‘All About Me’ form, so that key information about the strengths and needs of the child can be shared, for example, their likes, dislikes, culture and background etc.

Through observing the children, the Key Worker will identify individual needs and plan next steps. Support will be provided by the Room Leader, Setting Manager and the Setting’s SENco, and in conjunction with the parents, additional support will be sought from outside agencies, such as Speech and Language Therapists, where necessary.

We work in close partnership with the local Sure Start Children’s Centres to provide a range of parent ‘stay and play’ workshops and family events all year round and staff signpost parents to the available support.

Resources and Training

The nursery school is based in a converted Victorian property and so whilst we do our best to make it accessible to all, we are limited due to the layout and structure of the building. However, we ensure the environment is inclusive and have a range of resources that actively promote diversity. We use words in the nursery in a number of languages to support children for whom English is an additional language.

All staff have relevant childcare qualifications or are working towards their qualifications as part of a recognised apprenticeship programme and have experience of working with children within the Early Years range. Most staff are fully trained in paediatric first aid and all have been DBS checked. We have run a number of in-house training sessions for our staff which have covered speech and language development and basic Makaton training. Some staff have attended the Incredible Years training and we have also received asthma training from a local asthma nurse and epi-pen training for children with severe allergies.

Our SENCO has attended Enhanced Training for Speech and Sound Development, PEAL (Parents, early years and learning development) training, Pre-school Learning Alliance SEND workshop, and a 3 day Portage training workshop. In addition to this, she routinely attends all inclusion meetings, and all SENco cluster meetings held by Portsmouth City Council. We have a strong commitment to further professional development and work with the staff on an ongoing basis to assess their training needs.

Grants & Schemes

Nursery Grants

Free entitlement funding is available for all 3 and 4 year olds (from the term after their 3rd birthday until they attend school) and for eligible two year olds (from the term after their 2nd birthday until they are eligible for the universal three year old free entitlement). Children can access up to 15 hours of funding for up to 38 weeks which is 570 hours of funding per year provided that:

No more than 10 hours to be claimer per day

No less than 2.5 hours to be claimed per day

No funding claimed before 7:00am or after 7:00pm

Sharing funding between settings

Funding can be split between a maximum of 2 settings providing that the maximum entitlement for the number of hours of funding is not exceeded between the two settings.

Stretched Funding

Rainbow Corner Nursery School offers stretched funding. This is where the funding can be offered across the whole year, which is known as ‘stretched’ funding. For example, the funding of 15 hours over 38 weeks, i.e. 570 hours can be offered over 51 weeks of the year to cover school holidays. This would equate to 11 funded hours per week.

Benefits of the Stretched Offer to Parents

Children attending all year round for less than 15 hours per week can access all of their funding.
It provides more consistent childcare costs for parents who pay for holiday care/additional hours.

2 Year Old Funding

If your child is 2 years old and you’re in receipt of certain benefits- you may be entitled to some free childcare!

Who can apply?

All two year-olds who meet any one of the following criteria will be eligible.
If their families receive:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act

The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

Working Tax Credits and earn no more than £16,190 a year

Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual incomenot over £16,190

The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when youstop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

A child will also be eligible if any of the following apply:

They have a current statement of special educational needs (SEN) or aneducation, health and care plan

They get Disability Living Allowance

They are looked after by their local authority

They’ve been adopted from local authority care

They’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or residence order

How much childcare is available?

If eligible, your child will receive up to 15 hours of childcare per week, for up to 38 weeks of the year (570 hours). Under our stretched funding offer, we can offer these hours over 51 weeks of the year at 11 hours per week.

When could my child start?

If you receive a place, your child can start their free childcare the term after their 2nd birthday. Funding will continue until your child becomes eligible for free early education the term after their third birthday.

How do I apply?

Childcare Vouchers

Rainbow Corner Nursery School accepts all recognised childcare vouchers as way of part payment of fees. If your employer operates a childcare voucher scheme, you can save National Insurance and Income Tax.

Child Tax Credit

Nine out of ten families with children qualify for tax credits from the government. The amount you receive will depend on your circumstances.
The childcare element of Working Tax Credit is aimed at helping working parents with the cost of registered and approved childcare. For more information on tax credits please contact 08453 003900.

Parents as Partners

Parents as Partners' is a commitment to the EYFS principle of 'Positive Relationships'. Parents are the first educators of their children. Our aim is to support parents in their essential role. We do this by involving parents in all aspects of their child's welfare, learning and development. At Rainbow Corner we very much operate an 'open door' policy and parents are given information on a regular basis about their child's progress and have an opportunity to discuss this with their Key person.

We also welcome the contributions of parents, in whatever form this may take. For example, we recently had a 'Dads to Nursery Day', where all dads, granddads, uncles or male carers were invited to the nursery to participate in a number of activities, such as sand and water play, bug hunt and planting sunflowers. We also send regular newsletters and emails to parents notifying them of changes, updates or general information. We provide a parents noticeboard and information sharing area where we distribute local magazines, local events news and general information. For further information on how we communicate with parentsclick here.

Some More Testimonials

"I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of the nursery staff that have looked after Isobelle so well in the past 6 months. The nursery is a homely, welcoming environment and I know she will be sad to leave (never mind me!). The staff are always so friendly, smiley and pleased to see the children in the mornings, and I know her development has increased since being with you in the nursery via the wide range of activities she gets to be involved in each day - I think I had better make sure there is an Art Room in our new house to keep her entertained! I just hope that I am able to find another nursery for her to settle into so quickly! Once again, many thanks for being such a great place for Isobelle to start her nursery experience."

Hannah Lane, 1st July 2013

"Alba loves coming to nursery and playing with her friends and participating in all of the activities. I have always felt as a parent that Rainbow Corner has my daughter’s safety as paramount and I have never worried about bring her to nursery. Since being at nursery Alba has become more confident and adaptable and has also become very bossy! I would recommend Rainbow Corner Nursery to any parent for their child."

Geraldine Horn, 3rd May 2013

"I think since starting nursery 18 months ago Alannah has improved in every aspect. She’s more social and her language has developed quickly. I believe this is due to the staff at the nursery and the activities that are provided."

Nichola Brooks, 8th April 2013

"I am very pleased with Lennox’s progress since he joined Rainbow Corner. His confidence has grown leaps and bounds. He always tells me something he enjoyed about his day, and he particularly enjoys the teachers reading a story at the end of the day. He seems happy and confident in his surroundings there."

Donna Bruce, 11th April 2013

"I can't thank you and your team enough for all the support and kindness you have shown over the last year. Discovering Georgia's allergies and watching how Rainbow Corner adapted and took such a responsible role was very pleasing and comforting to see. I particularly want to thank Beth in the baby room for showing such a caring personality and ensuring Georgia's time at nursery was an exciting and fun time. Beth certainly exudes qualities of a leader and her professionalism is a reassuring welcome to any parent."

Martine Nagle, 28th June 2013

"Nyah has been very happy with every aspect of this nursery and Nyah’s improvement and development has been brilliant. We had concerns about putting her in nursery but the care and love she was showed put us perfectly at ease. We feel very comfortable that she is not only learning but being truly cared for as well."

Stephen Philbrick, 30th July 2013

"I'm very proud to say that our beautiful baby daughter has grown into an independent, intelligent & fun-loving little girl. Erin has really loved being at Rainbow Corner and in particular the Butterfly group. She has loved learning a lot of new things both academically and physically and I can surely say that Erin has come on leaps and bounds. A big thank you to Becky, Linda and Jade for helping us and Erin become the confident happy parent and child that we are. Also, knowing that the staff are always so approachable with any issues we may have."

Jan Coit, 9th April 2012

"We have been very happy with Eliza's progress in the Butterflies class. She clearly enjoys it and the activities that go on. We feel that her needs are individually catered for which has allowed her to progress and achieve. We find all the staff knowledgeable and able to give us any information needed. We certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend Rainbow Corner to our friends. Thank you!"

Rosie Sharp, 29th March 2012

"Whilst Mia has always enjoyed going to nursery, I feel that in the last 6 months she has really developed and gained in confidence. I am really pleased with what she is learning and can also extend this to her life outside of nursery. When asked if she would like a biscuit, she replied 'what shape would that be and would that be a 2D or 3D shape'! She is also very entertaining when she sings songs and rhymes that she has been taught by Linda and her team. I feel certain that the skills and confidence that Mia has acquired with Rainbow Corner will make her transition to School later this year an easier one. Well done to everyone at Rainbow Corner."

Ann Sawyers, 24th February 2012

"Zak enjoyed learning the story of 'going on a bear hunt' very much. To continue his enjoyment of the story, I borrowed the book from the library and we shared the story together at home. Zak remembers the story word for word and we had fun doing the actions along to the story which were learnt at nursery. Zak very much enjoys his time at nursery and has learnt so much which I support and continue at home."

Michelle Karatas, 13th February 2012

"Staff always helpful and polite in all classes. Garden facilities are good. We appreciate the classes being explained to about behaviour at home as well as at nursery/pre-school. Door security has improved. Nursery is always clean and tidy. Other children (including my own) all seem happy and well behaved. In the start as a parent it was hard to leave my baby at nursery, now it will be hard for us to see him leave the nursery after four years of excellent support, education and development. I can not recommend this nursery enough. Thank you all."

Ashley Rowlands, 5th January 2012

"On a car journey with her family, Robyn spontaneously began to sing 'five little stones in Johnny's shoe' and 'with my hands on myself'. Both of these songs were learnt at nursery."